We’re all so excited about Simply Gourmet, the fabulous cookbook being released! We spoke with author Rivky Kleiman about her culinary journey and how she develops such amazing recipes.

AS: Rivky, you are a star in the kosher culinary world: a popular contributor to kosher.com and Family Table, co-author of the Bais Yaakov Cookbook, and now a member of ArtScroll’s incredible cookbook team. How did you do it?

RK:  My mother went to medical school when I was in 6th grade. We were three sisters, so while she was in school she would leave a list on the fridge with the jobs we should do. Because I enjoyed the kitchen so much, I wound up making all the cakes, kugels, desserts, salads. When it came to food my mother was very forward thinking, and she loved variety. My friends loved to come to supper; they knew they’d get something interesting and delicious. Actually, when I was newly married, I was afraid of making traditional chicken soup and gefilte fish — but I could make gourmet meals!

AS: What is your cooking philosophy, and how does it play out in Simply Gourmet?

RK: I like to work with foods that are familiar to people, foods that they recognize, but I also want a twist. I keep up with today’s trends and modernize. I love to layer the flavors, to give foods depth of flavor. We’re long past just salt and pepper. You can transform a dish with a few spices or herbs. I use items in your pantry, or items that you will incorporate into your pantry after you’ve discovered them.  

AS: Some examples?                                                             

RK: I love chili powder. It’s a mixture of different spices, and it elevates the taste of the meat and poultry. People don’t realize the value of it. And you can easily make your own. Fish-free Worcestershire sauce adds that little oomph. Or a bit of lemon zest — it takes no extra work, you’re using the lemon anyway, and you get an explosion of flavor!

AS: What do you hope to accomplish with Simply Gourmet?

RK: I taught for many years, and I’m using the skills I’ve developed to teach home cooks so that they can elevate what they do. I’m taking away some of the fear of the unknown. When you try something and it works, what a great feeling!

Get your copy today at artscroll.com!

Gedolei Torah. You’ve heard so many stories about them. Perhaps you’ve even had some personal encounters with them. You know about their incredible diligence, devotion to learning and unfailing concern for the Klal. But have you ever wondered what it’s like to have constant contact with gedolim? To interact on a daily basis with Torah leaders? To see how daas Torah deals with the most important issues of our time?

In his long career in Agudath Israel of America, which culminated in his position as Executive  Vice President, Rabbi Shmuel Bloom had the zechus of interacting with some of Jewry’s greatest gedolim. Now, in On the Shoulders of Giants, he shares the stories and memories, the lessons learned and the insights discovered in more than half a century of encountering greatness.

We asked Rabbi Bloom to describe some of the traits that gedolim tend to have in common. His answer was both insightful and surprising:

“In my encounters with gedolei Yisrael I found that they had a unique blend of humility and confidence. The first time I saw R’ Moshe Feinstein at the Agudah convention, he was waiting for Minchah to begin. A man came over to him and asked the gadol hador if he could ask him a shayla. Reb Moshe answered: “Far vos nit – why not?”  It was as if he was saying, in his profoundly humble way – of course you can ask me, this is why I am here in this world, to help other Jews. Yet when there was an accident in front of his house and Rav Moshe was told a boy wearing a yarmulke had been run over by a car, he said that it couldn’t be true. He felt that his Torah learning would prevent such a tragedy from happening. As it turned out, a gentile boy had grabbed a yarmulke from a Jewish boy, and the non-Jew was run over as he was running away. This combination of knowing that he is in this world to serve the Klal, at the same time knowing that he was given a special role to play, is something that I found to varying degrees in almost every gadol.”

Personal stories of gedolim, askanim and politicians, and many rare photos — you’ll find them all here, in On the Shoulders of Giants.

Get your copy today at artscroll.com!

On the long Shabbos afternoons of spring and summer, Pirkei Avos offers us the perfect way to reconnect with the richness of Torah wisdom. ArtScroll has just released two special editions of Maseches Avos that will make that time extra special. Both editions contain all the text and features of ArtScroll’s acclaimed Mishnah series, in a new convenient size — and at a great price.

The Schottenstein Edition Midsize Mishnah Elucidated: Maseches Avos

This popular series offers a multilevel learning experience. Do you have an hour before Minchah and want to review a chapter in Pirkei Avos? You can. Want to spend the entire afternoon delving deeply into its meaning? You can do that too — in the same volume.

Each volume in The Mishnah Elucidated series includes the fully vowelized Hebrew text of the Mishnah and the full text of “the Rav’s” (Rabbeinu Ovadiah of Bertinoro) classic Mishnah commentary. The phrase-by-phrase translation and elucidation follow the format of the Schottenstein Edition Talmud. Words and phrases, based on the Rav’s interpretation of the Mishnah, are added to make the Mishnah text read smoothly and clearly. Notes clarify and explain the Mishnah further by drawing on the Gemara or other classic Mishnah commentaries, and the general introductions to each masechta and topic discuss many important concepts. For those most comfortable with English-language study, this is the volume for you.

The Ryzman Edition Hebrew Mishnayos Special Edition: Maseches Avos

Each volume of the Ryzman Edition Hebrew Mishnayos contains the full text of the Mishnah, as well as the commentary of the Rav (Rabbeinu Ovadiah of Bertinoro), newly-typeset. This series, too, offers multilevel learning. The first level is a phrase-by-phrase translation and elucidation, in readable Hebrew, following the format of the Schottenstein Edition Talmud.  This level gives a brief, flowing explanation of the words of the Mishnah, perfect for those seeking a simple explanation of the p’shat. Next comes the “Biyur.” Here we find an expanded explanation of the Mishnah, based on the commentary of Rav, and also drawing on the Gemara and classic Rishonim and Acharonim. On this level, terms and concepts are explained more fully, providing a deeper understanding of the p’shat. Finally, the “Iyunim” level is designed for those seeking more profound, in-depth study of the Mishnah.

Whatever you are looking for in your Pirkei Avos study, you’ll find it in these very special, special editions!

Get your copies today at artscroll.com!

After all the work — the cleaning, shopping, koshering — you’ve certainly earned some time to relax. And what better way to relax than with a novel that transports you to a different time and place? A novel that brings you characters who become almost real to you? A novel that keeps you turning page after exciting page?  

ArtScroll has two fantastic new historical novels for you. Enjoy your well-earned literary treat!

Freefall by Miriam Zakon:

Freefall is the epic saga of a young woman searching for happiness, a war orphan searching for words, and a young man searching for his father’s love.

The year is 1941. The flames of war are blazing throughout Europe. By the end of the year, with the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, America will join the Allies in their desperate struggle against the Axis powers.

In the Freed Hotel, a simple Coney Island boarding house, other battles are being fought. Its owner, Yeruchum Freed, is determined and resolute in his vision: to raise his children as uncompromising Torah Jews. But do his children, Annie and Moe, share that dream?

Set against the fascinating backdrop of the American experience during the Second World War, as well as the battlefields of war-torn Europe, Freefall offers a vivid and unforgettable cast of characters, a wealth of riveting historical details, and an engaging, suspense-filled story that readers will not be able to put down. 

Twilight (Expanded Edition) by Avner Gold:

Twilight is the next novel in the famed Strasbourg Saga. This expanded edition follows the exploits of the popular characters of the Saga from the end of 1649 through 1658.

As the story begins, a report of twins abducted by the Cossacks spurs Elisha Ringel to action. He manages to secure a meeting with Bogdan Chmielnicki, the hetman of the Cossacks, in his headquarters in Zaporozhiye, and there the exciting story unfolds, coming to a climax in Warsaw nine years later. In the course of the story, we also meet Rav Shabsi Kohein, the Shach, and follow the turbulent events of his life through the eyes of Rav Shloime Strasbourg, rabbi of Pulichev.

Twilight is that fragile moment that is not quite night and not quite day. The period described in this book was a twilight time. The wounds of war were not yet healed, but there was hope once again. Here is historical fiction at its best.

Get your copies today at artscroll.com!

It began less than five years ago, with the publication of Living Emunah. Readers loved it for its message of faith and optimism, its fantastic stories and insights. It transformed countless lives; for many, reading it became a highlight of their day. It was translated into Yiddish, Hebrew, Spanish, and French, and versions were created for youngsters and teens. Living Emunah 2 and 3 followed, also bestsellers, also beloved. Amazingly, there are now over 150,000 copies of the Living Emunah series now in print!

And here’s more great news: Living Emunah 4 has just been released!

So what’s all the excitement about emunah, and why are so many people interested in putting it at the center of their lives?

Have you seen the headlines lately? Opioid epidemics. Rising suicide rates. Valium abuse. Hatred raging everywhere.

As Living Emunah author Rabbi David Ashear astutely says in his Introduction to the newly-released Living Emunah 4, “Living without the knowledge that Hashem is our loving Father can be miserable ….”

And if we live with the knowledge that Hashem is involved in every facet of our lives, that He knows what we need, and that He wants only to benefit us? If we live with emunah?

“To one who lives with emunah and bitachon, life will become one long party and his days will be filled with happiness. He’ll feel Hashem’s benevolence and understand that he has a Father in Heaven constantly looking out for his well-being…. The botei’ach b’Hashem always feels secure, totally relying on the fact that Hashem knows what he needs better than he does himself ….”

People who live with emunah do not have to numb their pain with drugs; they can run to Hashem instead.

Like every valuable accomplishment, emunah must be worked on, encouraged, and nurtured. That’s where the Living Emunah series comes in. In Living Emunah 4, as in the previous volumes, Rabbi Ashear gives us a remarkable combination of chizuk and stories to build up our faith. He touches our hearts and enlightens our minds. And, amazingly, he does it in brief readings that we can fit into our overscheduled, hurried lives.

When the kabbalist Rabbi Dovid Abuchatzeira shlita asked Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman zt”l what mitzvah should be the priority today, Rav Aharon Leib’s reply was short and to the point: To strengthen ourselves in emunah and bitachon.

That’s what tens of thousands are doing every day — through Living Emunah!

Get your copy today at artscroll.com!

ArtScroll proudly presents two new Haggadahs to enrich and energize your Seder:

The Rav Schwab Haggadah features the writings on the Haggadah of Rav Shimon Schwab zt’l, the beloved Rav, Rosh Beis Din, posek, and mechanech par excellence. It offers a wealth of insights into the basics of emunah, conveyed with great passion and emotion.

Compiled and edited by David Schwab, the Rav’s eldest grandson, it is an anthology of divrei Torah on the Haggadah from various writings and shiurim of Rav Schwab.

“The story of Yetziyas Mitzrayim is a story of faith, emunah peshutah,” says his grandson. “It is also a message of chizuk, inspiration, for our present-day lives. A recurring theme in this Haggadah is that our geulah from Mitzrayim occurred in the zechus of the Jews’ faith that Hashem would ultimately fulfill His promise to Avraham Avinu to redeem us from slavery. It was only because of their faith that they merited redemption. The same will hold true, Rav Schwab would say, during our final galus. In the zechus of our emunah the final geulah — the coming of Mashiach — will indeed occur.  

“Our grandfather’s Seder was an opportunity for his children and grandchildren to absorb these yesodos ha’emunah, and it left a permanent impression upon all of us. We are excited to present the timeless thoughts of our grandfather on the Haggadah to a worldwide audience.”

Rav Yaakov Bender, author of The Chinuch Haggadah, is the Rosh HaYeshiva of Yeshiva Darchei Torah in Far Rockaway. He has been hailed as one of the Torah world’s premiere mechanchim: innovative, insightful, and compassionate.

With no time during the school year, Rav Bender spent his summer vacations working on this unique Haggadah commentary. “To me, the Haggadah shel Pesach is the perfect way to give our children hadrachah in ruchniyus and gashmiyus,” he explains. “The Haggadah takes us on a trip through the past, a difficult past, to a happy ending. In between there are so many lessons to teach our children, particularly that every one of us counts, no matter how we score on our exams. We know that Someone is up there looking out for us — and our children must know that as well.”

The Chinuch Haggadah brings together Rav Bender’s warm and personal observations, fascinating Torah insights, stories of great men and women, and his wise guidance on how to give over our heritage to the next generation. 

Get your copy today at artscroll.com!

The Schottenstein Edition of the Mishnah Elucidated was conceived as an innovative, almost a revolutionary, work: a multilevel Mishnah elucidation that would be appropriate for a variety of different learning styles and needs. It would enable the person learning mishnayos for a yahrzeit or sheloshim to study the mishnayos quickly but still grasp the meaning of each Mishnah as explained by the Bertinoro. Instead of rote recital, the study would become much more satisfying and understandable. Alternatively, someone could learn on a deeper level by delving into the notes, which draw upon the Gemara and classic Mishnah commentaries and also include detailed illustrations.

So did this groundbreaking approach to the study of Mishnah really work? Let’s read what some of the many thousands who have made mishnayos study an integral part of their lives have to say about The Schottenstein Edition of the Mishnah Elucidated:

“My twelve-year-old son just finished 4 sedarim on his own. That’s how clear and easy it is to learn from it.”

“I’m making a siyum on the entire mishnayos. I couldn’t have done it without the Mishnah Elucidated.”

“My father-in-law, a man in his seventies who has had a seder in mishnayos for years, keeps thanking me for introducing him to it. He finds it touches on every significant point needed to fully understand the mishnah, and it does so clearly and succinctly.”

“What the Schottenstein Edition of the Talmud does for daf yomi learners — enabling them to obtain a clear understanding in a short time — the Schottenstein Edition of the Mishnah Elucidated has done for the study of Mishnah.”

Each volume of the Mishnah Elucidated includes the vowelized Hebrew text of the Mishnah and the full text of “the Rav’s” (Rabbeinu Ovadiah of Bertinoro) classic Mishnah commentary. The phrase-by-phrase elucidated translation follows the Schottenstein Edition Talmud format. Notes and diagrams clarify and explain the Mishnah further.

For the bar mitzvah boy … and the seasoned talmid chacham … and the CEO commuting to the office … and the man learning for a yahrzeit … for just about everyone interested in learning Mishnah — The Schottenstein Edition of the Mishnah Elucidated is bringing the study of Mishnah to a whole new level.

Hadran alach!

Get learning with the Mishnayos Elucidated today at artscroll.com!

AS: The stories in the Food for Thought series are brief, perfect for our hurried lives. And yet each of them has a powerful message. How do you write a story that “packs a punch” in such a short format?

RYH: Your question really gets to the core of why certain stories resonate with readers. The key lies in the “take-away.” There must be a message that is practical and meaningful, as well as easily applied. The first ingredient is good material. With a good story in hand, the job of the writer is to make it feel real and not overdo it with a long narrative. Readers tell me all the time: Keep it positive, keep it concise, and, with great stories, we’ll keep on reading. That seems to be the recipe.

AS: Your stories are so relatable to readers’ lives and concerns. How do you make that happen?

RYH: It’s interesting you mention that, because though I love a good “gadol story,” and there are plenty of those, the stories I connect to most are the ones about so-called “regular people.” Take the one about the man who was inspired to learn Daf Yomi after hearing just one sentence from the Talmud. I love the story about the yungerman’s wife who proved that the privilege of her husband learning Torah was worth more to her than thirteen million shekels, and the one about a not-yet-religious teen who crafted his own version of Asher Yatzar. These are stirring anecdotes about ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

AS: Many of these stories touch our hearts. Can you share one or two that you found particularly poignant?

RYH: The one how bentching changed the course of a man’s life is one of my all-time favorites. Another, about the Pnei Menachem being yelled at by an Israeli soldier, “Atah kemo kulam! You’re like everyone else!” is marvelous as well.

What kind of feedback on your first collection have you received? 

RYH: The feedback was incredible, boruch Hashem. I just returned from Eretz Yisrael, where I saw the book on display in a store window. When I thanked the proprietor, I was told that the book has been very well-received in Yerushalayim. It’s wonderful to hear that it has had a global reach. The new volume features over 150 photos, adding a unique flavor that I hope readers will enjoy.

Get your copy today! artscroll.com/f/FFT2H

Less than two years ago, Nachi Gordon began sending out his “Meaningful Minute” – one minute inspirational video clips from many of today’s most popular speakers. More than 40,000 people now enrich their lives with a daily Meaningful Minute video.

Bestselling author and journalist Rabbi Yisroel Besser joined Nachi to compile those brief video messages into a powerful and engaging new book – Meaningful Minute — which includes inspirational messages from close to 100 of the Jewish world’s best speakers.

ArtScroll caught up with Nachi to discuss his wildly successful innovation and the new book:

AS: So what can a person accomplish in a minute?

NG: Meaningful Minute is about allowing everyone on his or her own level to experience a relationship with Hashem that is unique to them. The inspiration to strive for that can be unleashed in one minute, and that’s what we look to achieve daily. 

AS:  What were you trying to accomplish when you created Meaningful Minute?

NG:  I’ve always had an interest in Jewish education. And while our yeshivahs are doing a wonderful job teaching Torah and middos tovos and the like, it just seemed that there was little talk about the beauty of Yiddishkeit, the unconditional love between Hashem and every Jew — the things that are necessary to enable the Torah to engender a healthy relationship between us, Hashem, and the world we live in. 

AS: How do you choose the material for the daily videos?

NG: Based on feedback from previous videos, our staff goes through speeches online, extracting the one minute that sums up most succinctly the message that the speaker sought to deliver in the 30 to 60 minute speech that they gave. We have also been making an effort to generate material that has been recorded exclusively for Meaningful Minute and lately we have been featuring more of those. 

AS:  Can you share some of the feedback that you have received?

NG:  I know it sounds unbelievable but we have received only overwhelmingly positive feedback in the two years that we have been producing and disseminating these videos. There are schools in Brooklyn and the Five Towns that play the Meaningful Minute video to their student body at the start of each day. Lives have been transformed and relationships restored as a result of these videos, and that is the most gratifying part of this holy endeavor. 

Get your copy today: https://artscroll.com/f/MEANH

Tens of thousands have learned how to infuse their daily activities with happiness through Rabbi Zelig Pliskin’s many bestselling titles, and they rejoice when he releases a new book. Another Rabbi Pliskin book means more insights and wise counsel, more practical advice and great stories.

For me, personally, there is one more cause for rejoicing: A new book means a new column for me to write, and that means I have the opportunity to speak with one of the most positive, effervescent, and joyous people I’ve ever been privileged to meet: Rabbi Pliskin, the “happiness specialist” of our time.

Here are some highlights of my conversation with Rabbi Pliskin about his newest book, Upgrade Your Mind, Upgrade Your Life: Daily upgrades for your thoughts, feelings, words, and actions.

AS: Can you tell us about “upgrades”?

RZP: People often use the word “change,” but “change” implies that I must stop doing something and start doing something else. “Upgrade” is a process that keeps happening. When we upgrade our technology, it doesn’t mean the technology was not good; it means we’re making it better. Wherever we are in our lives, the idea is to keep upgrading our thoughts, feelings, words, and actions. This book has 100 short chapters to show us how to upgrade the important areas of our lives, to help us live the best possible life we can.

AS: Wow, 100 chapters, 100 traits and behaviors to upgrade! How did you choose so many? 

RZP: It wasn’t a very long process, because I’ve been talking, thinking, and teaching this for close to 50 years! Though they are all important, I consider 6 traits to be the key ones: gratitude, joy, kindness, compassion, self-confidence, and courage. A person who lives with these traits will live in a totally different world from one who lives with negativity and resentment.

AS: The title of each chapter is also an “affirmation” that you suggest readers repeat often. Can you explain how that works?

RZP: When you focus on an idea that you want to integrate and internalize, and you repeat it many times, it becomes a part of you. Neuroscience has discovered that when you think a thought even once, you create a neural pathway. When you repeat that thought, the neural pathway grows thicker, creating microscopic changes in the brain. Or, as Rambam said so long ago: How do you get a middah to be part of you? Do it over and over.

Get your copy today at artscroll.com!